Box-feeding mechanism



3c. HOLLY.

BOX FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATlON FILED DEC- Zh 1917. RENE WED JULY 29, I921. 1,41 1,699. atented Apr- 4, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 1- lVlT/VESS S:

C. HOLLY.

BOX FEEDING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED 0150.27, 1911. 1,41 1,699.

RENEWED JULY 29.1921.

Patented Apr. 4,

5 $HEET$SHEET 2| fNl ENTOR.

BY i 1 ATTORNEY.

C. HOLLY.

BOX FEEDiNG MCHANISM.

APPLICATION man DEC. 27, 1917. RENEWED JULY 29. 192:.

1,41 1,699, Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Fig.3-

[TNESSE INVENTOR. W v

M C j %I M WWTTORNEY.

C. HOLLY. BOX FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, I911- RENEWED JULY 29,192l. 1,41 1,699;

WITNES S a A W L M E r I l T a MPH J. MPH N M 4% r w w Mm Jl' L nufl n 1 A M w av m 5 Q WTP G v m 3 N M C. HOLLY. BOX FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION HLED DEC-21, 1911.- RENEWED JULY 29, 1921.

5 SHEETS$HEET 5- 'FUU JNVENTOR.

IVITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLOS HOLLY, OF LOOKPORT, NEVJ' YORK, ASSIGNOB. TO N. BURT COMPANY, LIM- I'IED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION. OE ONTARIO, CANADA.

BOX-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Originalapplication filed January 16, 1911, Serial No. 602,862.

her 27, 1917, Serial No. 209,188.

1 0 all quiz-0m may concern:

Be it known that I, Cannes HOLLY, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Loch port, in the county oi. Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to article feeding devices, and with respect to its more specific features to devices especially adapted for feeding small open paper boxes of rectangular shape.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a practical device to feed light paper boxes accurately and in sequence.

I Another object of the invention is the provision of an eiiicient device to deliver boxes successively onto a support or guideway and thereafter teed them one by one while in said guideway.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an etficient and practical device whcrewith a series of closely adjacent boxes in a guideway may be fed one by one and spaced from each other along said guide way.

Other objects will be in partobvious and in part pointed out hereinafter;

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinatter setf'torth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views, I

Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a machine equipped with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofa portion of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking at the left of Fig. l;

Fig. -.'i is a top plan view of the end of the Quide wav tor the boxes:

\ Fig. '7; atransverse section therei'rt on line Fig. at;

is a side view thereof;

Fl g. T is an end view of the pusher rod Pig. 6

Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed July 29, 1921.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

Divided and this application filed Decem- Serial No. 488,450.

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the dotted line 8-8 F ig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a detail of a pawl shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the guideway through the angle bars 2-, 2, and theframe 20, and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic View showing cooperative drivingdevices for different parts of a machine equipped with the invention.

This application is a division of an application filed January 16, 1911, Serial No. 602,862, to which reference may be made, such other application disclosing a complete box making machine equipped with the invention forming more especially the subject matter of the present application.

Referring to the prior application, previously made boxes, or bases, are placed open side down on a continuously moving belt 1 (Fig. 2) and are conducted to position oppositethe receiving end of a support, in the present instance, a guideway or channel formed by oppositely disposed angle bars2 spaced from each other so that certain box, orelement, feeding devices may enter from below between the angle bars and operate to feed the boxesalong such guideway. In the complete machine referred to, there is provided an oscillatory carriage, generally indicated by the numeral 3, the-lower portion of which in its lower position aligns with the end of the guideway formed bythe angle bars 2 and formsa part or extension of such guideway. Also when the carriage 3 is in its lower position it displaces a spring held stop a, which otherwise extends into the path of the boxes. Thus itwill be seen that when the carriage 3 is in its lower position, movement of the boxesalong the guideways 2 and through the carriage 3 may be readily eiiected. The subject matter of the present application has more especially to do with that aspect of the invention as it involves the mechanism for delivering the boxes to the guideway and feeding the same therethrough.

The numeral 5 indicates a rceiprocatory picker which operates transversely of the belt 1 and delivers boxes from said belt into the guidcway, suitable mechanism being provided for enabling the picker to return to position to feed succeedingboxes. As the picker operates the boxes are fed along in the guidewa one box shoving the other ahead of it. he numeral 6 indicates a slide which reciprocates on the frame of the machine and to which the picker is attached for operative movements, this slide being reciprocated through the instrumentality of a connecting rod 7, coupled to a crank disk 8 on a shaft 9 having a bevel gear 10 meshing with another bevel gear 11 on the shaft 12 intermittently driven through the instrumentality of mutilated gears 13 and 14, the latter gear being mounted on a shaft 15 driven from a sultable part of the machine, as from a countershaft 16 initially driven from the main driving shaft 17, all as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 11.

The numeral 18 indicates a rod, in the present instance a finger-supporting rod, extending longitudinally of the path of the boxes in the guideway and pivoted at one end to a bracket 19 depending from the slide 6. Thus the rod 18 will be reciprocated lonitudinally of the ath of movement of the xes by the rotation of the crank disk 8, and will rest at certain intervals. At the inner end of the frame member or I-beam 20 is a plate 21 arranged transversely of the I-beam and longitudinally of the machine.

The numeral 22 indicates an opening in the plate 21 through which the boxes pass as they move along the guideway. On the side of the plate 21 opposite the I-beam, is provided a flat horizontally arranged plate 23 having an upstanding flange whereby it is secured to the plate 21 at the upper horizontal edge of the opening 22, and adjustably fastened to said plate so that they may be spaced apart a proper distance, are guiding plates 24 having flanges 25 to support the edges of the boxes. The plates and flanges 24 and 25 form a part of the guideway with which the flanged jaws of the carriage 3 directly align to form a continuation of said guidewa In or er to feed the boxes along this end of the guideway, a pusher mechanism is provided. In the present embodiment the rod '18 forms a part of this pusher mechanism and lies immediately below the guideway formed by the plates 2 and, in the present embodiment, has two feed fingers, or ele ment engaging members 26 and 27 attached thereto, one at the outer end and one at a distance from said end, said fingers being adapted to engage the inner face of a wall of a box and feed the same forwardly (to the left in Fig. 1) as the rod 18 moves in one direction. Secured to the plate 21 at the sides of the opening 22 therein are frame pieces 28 and 29. The frame piece 28 supports a 1 vertically arranged plate 30 having a longitudinal horizontal extending reccss 31 on the wall of which is pivoted a switch 32 having a pin 33 passing through a curved slot in the plate 30 and engaged by a spring 34, which is so arranged as to yieldingly hold the switch upwardly against the upper horizontal face of the recess 31, which upper face provides a track to. guide the movement of the bar 18 and determine the plane of movement of the fingers 26 and 27 in one direction of reciprocation of the bar 18. The switch 32 has an inclined face 35 and a face 36 continuous therewith, the lower wall of the recess 31 being inclined opposite the face 35 as at 37, and substantially parallel to said face when the switch is in upper position. On the op posite side of the pivot of the switch from the point thereof, the switch is provided with a curved portion 38 continuous with the face 36, continuing in a straight portion 39 to the point of the switch. The switch is pivoted at about the central portion of the vertical extent of the recess 31. Spaced from the lower portion of the plate 30 is the rod 40 and between the opposing face of said plate and rod a slot 41 is provided centrally beneath the guideway for the boxes. The

usher rod 18 nearits outer end, and in this instance between the fingers 26 and 27, is provided with a depending lug 42, which in all positions of the pusher rod extends through the slot 41, serving as a guide for said rod. On the lateral face of the lug is secured a roller 43 which plays in the recess 31 between the switch 32 and the walls of said recess. The pusher rod 18 is yieldingly pressed upwardly toward the guideway for the boxes by devices hereinafter described. It will now be apparent that as the pusher rod 18 is reciprocated, the fingers 26 and 27 will be moved back and forth longitudinally of the path of the boxes and in their forward movement will be guided in one plane by the straight upper horizontal wall of the recess 31, the yielding devices hereinafter referred to maintaining the roller 43 against the upper wall of said recess. As the pusher rod 1s moved forward the switch 32 is deflected against the resistance of the spring 34 and eventually the roller escapes the polnt of the switch and is received in a conforming opening 44 in the plate 30, whichfopening communicates with the recess 31. After the roller escapes the point of the switch the spring elevates the switch and when the pusher rod 18 moves in an opposite direction the face 39 of the switch causes the fingers 26 and 27 to first move downwardly out of the path of the boxes, then rearwardly substantially horizontally, but in a different plane from that of their feed movement, and still out of the path of the boxes, and finally upwardly, the roller 43 following the curved portion 38 of the switch and eventually contacting with the upper horizontal wall of the recess 31, at which time, the fingers will again be in pushing position.

The piece28 which supports the switch mechanism for the pusher, extends for- Wardly beyond the switch mechanlsm and "Witlrthe piece 29 support a short downpushed into the portion of the guideway. formed by the channel bar by the front.

pusher finger 26 and supported therein by the shoulders 47. A pivoted gravity operating stop comprising a pawl 48 is provided at the upper portion of this guideivay, the tooth of the pawl projecting into the passageway throughthe channel a5 and having a cam surface 4L9 with which the boxes contact as they move past the same. The pawl is lifted by the boxes as they enter the channel and the boxes are prevented from retrograde movement by the tooth of the pawl.

The pusher rod lSis yieldingly pressed upwardly. by plunger 50 guided in an opening in a lug 51 on the plate 21 and passing through an opening inacross piece 52 supporteda substantial distance below the plate 21 on the rods 53, a spring 54 surrounding the plunger rod 50 and held between the crosspiece 52 and an adjustable collar 55 on said rod.

The box bodies are initially fed forwardly inthe guideway formed by the bars 2 by the picker mechanism, and eventually the foremost box arrives in the neighborhood of the discharge endof the guideway. Assuming the pusher rod 18 tohave been drawn rearwardly and upwardly to pushing or feeding position, the finger 27 will extend through the passageway between the walls 2, contact with the box body which is immediately in the rear of the one about to enter that portion of the guideway formed by -the'carriage 3, while the end finger 26 will assume a position beneath the box in the carriage portion of the guideway. This end finger willtake position immediately in the rear of and close to the inside face of the front wall of the box adjacent thereto, but the distance orspacebetween the fingers 26 and 27 is such that when the finger 26 isin the position just referred to, the finger 27 is some distance in rear of the front wall of the box with which it is about to cooperate. As the pusher moves forwardly, the front finger 26 may immediately operate on the box to move it forwardly positively intothe channel plate 45, while the finger 27 is moving to the frontwall of the box immediately adj acent thereto. In this manner the foremost box is fed some distance forward before the rear finger 27 begins to push the box iminediatelyadjacentthereto. hen the finger 27 does engage the wall of its adjacent box it pushes thebox just ahead of it. and which, in the present v,embodime nt, isbetween, the boxes engaged by these fingers, into thecarriage. portion of the guideway. In this wise, not only is a mechanism provided which will feed the boxes along the support or guideway into a predetermined position in said guideway, but by having the feed fingers spacedapart a predetermined distance greater, than the length of ,a box, and in the present instance greater than the added lengths of two adjacent boxes, or elements, to be fed, the foremost boxmay be spaced, or moved away from the next succeeding box, and this latter feature may be utilized as desired, for instance, for drawing out a length of cord attached to the foremost box, as explained in the prior ,application above referred to, so that an automatically operating knife, relatively stationarily positioned, may sever the cord at a point remote from where said cord is connected to the box.

It will-be observed that the recessed plate 30 together with the switch 32 provides a trackway, substantially endless in character, to control the position of the rod '18 and therefore of the fingers 26 and 27, transversely of the path of movement of the boxes. The upper wall of the recess 31 provides a track with which the roller 43 c0 operates and by which it is guidedon its feed movement, whereas the switch 32 defleets the rod away from said track in a direction opposite to that given the rod 18 by the plunger 50 which latter slidingly engages the rod 18. As the rod 18 moves to the left (Fig. 1) the boxes adjacent the dis charge end of the guideway are fed forwardly, and between the intervals of such successive feeding movementsthe fingers 26 and 27 will be urged first positively out of the path of the boxes and then back into said path.

Viewing F 1, it will be perceived that the fingers 26 and 27 arespaced apart a distance greater than the amplitude of reciprocation thereof, which latter is determined by that of the rod 18. The picker 5 delivers the boxes into the guideway formed by thewalls 2, one following another, with the boxes touching, or contiguous to each other therein. When the rod makes its advance move ment, the box in the carrier 3, and with the innerwall of which the finger 26 is in contact, is immediately fed, not only for a distance equal to its length so as to completely remove it from the carrier, this being a predetermined distance for thesize of the box but it is also fed an additional distance for a purpose already explained. On the other hand, the next succeeding box is fed a dis% tance to dispose it in. the carrier, this distance being at least equal to the predetermined distance just referred to, the boxes being of the same length. By making this distance between the fingers 26 and 27 greater than the distance moved by the fingers infeedingflhe advance boxiis so moved as to space it from the next succeeding box, when they are originally practically contiguous in the guideway, but the same amount of movement of the finger 27 feeds the next succeeding box referred to only enough to place it in proper position in the carrier 3, and when the boxes are of equal length and touch each other in the guideway, this amount of movement is practically the same as the length of a box, and hence at least equalto the predetermined distance before referred to.

Thus by the above described construction are accomplished, among others, the objects hereinbefore referred to.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all ofthe generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a support for elements to be fed, means adapted to move elements along said support comprisinga pair of feed fingers spaced apart longitudinally of the path of movement of the elements to cooperate with different elements respectively, and means adapted to move said fingers longitudinally of the path of the elements and into and out of said path, the said space between said fingers being greater than the length of said longitudinal movement of said fingers.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a support for elements to be fed, means adapted to move elements along said support comprising a pair of feed fingers spaced apart longitudinally of the path of movement of the elements a greater distance than the length of one element'to cooperate with different elements, respectively, and means adapted to move said fingerslongitudinally of the path of v the elements and into and out of said path,

the said space between said fingers being greater than the length of said longitudinal' movement of said fingers.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a support for elements to be fed, means adapted to move ele ments along said support comprising a pair of feed fingers spaced apart longitudinally of the path of movement of the elements a greater distance than the added lengths of two elements to cooperate with different elements, respectively, and means adapted to move said fingers longitudinally of the path of the elements and into and out of said path, the said space between said fingers being greater than the length of said longitudinal. movement of said fingers.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of elements in position one following another, means adapted to feed one of said elements a predetermined distance, at least equal to thelength of the ele ment, and an additional distance, and means adapted to feed the next succeeding element a distance at least equal to said predetermined distance, said feed means comprising, respectively, element engaging members spaced apart in the line of feed a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of elements in position one following another, means adapted to feed one of said elements a predetermined distance, at least equal to the length of the element, and anadditional distance, and means adapted to feed the next succeeding ele ment a distance at least er ual to said pre determined distance, said iced means comprising, respectively, simultaneously reciprocal element engaging members spaced apart in the line of feed a distance greater than said predetermined distance.

(3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of feed fingers, and means adapted to simultaneously reciprocate said fingers in the line of feed, said fingers being spaced apart a distance greater thanthe amplitude of reciprocation thereof. c

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of feed fingers, a finger supporting rod, andmeans adapted to reciprocate said rod longitudinally of the path of feed, said fingers being spaced apart a distance greater than the amplitude of reciprocation of said rod.

8. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, means adapted to deliver boxes into position one following and touching another on a support, means adapted to feed one of said continuous boxes a predetermined distance, at least equal to the length of the box, and an additional distance, and means adapted to feed the next succeedingbox a distance at least equal to said predetermined distance, said feed means comprising respectively element engaging members spaced apart in, the line of feed a distance greater than sald predetermined distance. a

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a supporting guideway for boxes, said guideway having a passageway for the entry of feed fingers, a longitudinally and transversely reciprocal pusher rod having a pair of longitudinally spaced feed fingers adapted to play in said passageway, a spring-pressed plunger slidably bearing against said rod to urge said fingers into said passageway transversely of the path of feed of the boxes, and means adapted to positively urge said fingers out of the path of the boxes between the intervals of feed thereof.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a supporting guideway for boxes, said guideway having a passageway for the entry of feed fingers, a longitudinally and transversely reciprocal pusher rod having a pair of longitudinally spaced feed fingers adapted to play in said passageway, a springpressed plunger slidably bearing against said rod to urge said fingers into said passageway transversely of the path of feed of the boxes, and means adapted to positively urge said fingers out of the path of theboxes between the intervals of feed thereof comprising a recessed plate and a switch cooperative therewith, a guide-lug projecting from said rod and a frame piece having a slot in which said lug plays.

11. I11 an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of box elements in position one following another and a air of movable fingers adapted to feed saiC box elements, said fingers being spaced apart, longitudinally of the path of feed, a distance greater than the length of one of the box elements, the relation between the fingers and the box elements being such that an advance box is fed a predetermined distance by its finger before the succeeding box is advanced by its finger.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of box elements in position one following another and a pair or movable fingers adapted to feed said box elements, said fingers being spaced apart, longitudinally of the path oi teed, a distance greater than the length of two of the box elements, the relation between the fingers and the box elements being such that an advance box is fed a predetermined distance by its fingers before the succeeding box is advanced by its finger.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of box elements in position one following another, and a'pair of simultaneously reciprocal fingers adapted to feed said box elements, said fingers being spaced apart, longitudinally of the path of feed, a distance greater than. the length of one of the box elements, the relation between the fingers and the box elements being such that an advance box fed a distance greater than that of the succeeding box during the feed stroke of said fingers.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means adapted to support a series of box elements in position one following another, and a pair of simultaneously reciprocal fingers adapted to feed said box elements, said fingers being spaced apart, longitudinally of the path of feed, a distance greater than the length of one of the box elements, the relation between the fingers and the box elements being such that an advance box is fed a distance greater than that of the succeeding box during the feed stroke of said fingers, and a reciprocatory rod carrying said fingers for said reciprocal movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CARLOS HOLLY. Witnesses:

Mnnron K. Dory, HERVE C. HOLLY. 

